Automatic stoker for kilns



March 24, 1931. R, GQODWIN 1,797,608

AUTOMATIC STE KER FOR KILNS Filed April 29, 1950 v 2 ShetS-Sheet l March 24, 1931. 4 R GOODWIN 1,797,608

AUTOMATIC SI'CKER FOR KILNS Filed April 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee 2 Zxmxwm I Patented Mar. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES ROBERT K. GOODWIN,

OF REDFIELD, IOWA AUTOMATIC STOKER r03 KILNS Application filed Apri1 29,

The object of my invention is to provide a stoker for brick kilns or the like, the operation thereof being automatic and the construction thereof being simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive.

A further object is to provide means for automatically stoking the plurality of fires usually kept burning in a plurality of fire boxes around the wall of the ordinary type of brick or tile kiln so that the stoking is more evenly done and involves much less bother than when it is done manually during the brick or tile burning process.

More particularly, it is my object to provide in a kiln construction having a kiln wall with a plurality of open bottom fire boxes, a rotary grate for each fire box, each grate having a portion forming a bottom for its respective fire box and a portion projecting outside of the kiln wall, a fuel hopper being located outside the kiln wall and discharging fuel onto the grate, a scraper blade being associated with the kiln wall for removing ashes from the grate automatically.

A further object is to provide an opening above the grate forthe fuel to pass through from the hoppe'r'to the interior of the fire box and another opening above the grate for the ashes to pass through out of the fire box, means being provided for adjusting the sizes of both of these openings whereby the thick ness of fuel on the grate may be regulated!- and an air space over the ashes coming out of the kiln may be reduced to a minimum.

Still a further object is to provide mechanical means for interconnecting the rotary grates and a motor detachably connected with such means whereby allthe grates maybe simultaneously rotated, the motor being detachable and portable so'that it can be used on one kiln while bricks and tile therein are being burned and then transferred to another kiln while the first one is cooling off, being unloaded and reloaded, thus one motor may be used for automatically stoking several kilns. 7

With these and other objects in- View my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects con 1930. Serial No. 448,232.

templated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a kiln construction illustrating my automatic stoker in con-. nection therewith.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of one of the stoker units. A I

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2 illustrating the fire box and grate in cross section.

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional viewon the line 44 of Figure 2 illustrating the manner in which the grate plates are supported.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 of Figure 3 illustrating adjustable openings for the fuel and ashes on the grate; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the kiln and a stoker unit representing the kiln in operation.

7 On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral'lO to indicate the wall (which is usually cylindrical) of a kiln A. The top; thereof'is indicated at 12. The kiln wall 10 is provided with a plurality of fire box compartments 14. Abaflie wall 16 is arranged in front of each fire box 14.

The bottom of each fire box 14 is open and a rotary grate B forms a closure therefor.

I will now describe one of the grates B in detail and may here mention that all ten of the stoker units illustrated are of similar construction.

A vertical shaft 18 is supported by a step or thrust bearing20 and. a bearing 22. lhe bearing 20 may be embedded in a footing 24, while the bearing 22 may have a sup porting arm 26 embedded in the kiln wall, as best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings. A grate support of spider-like construction 28 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 18 above the bearing 22. A plurality of grate members 30, preferably formed of fire clay, are supported on the arms of 5' the grate support 28. The outer edges of the grate members 30 are formed with flanges 29 to retain fuel and ashes on the grate members. The inner ends of the grate members 30 have lug l extend ng nto aso ketaboW 9 the shaft 18 to prevent outward radial movement of the grate members. The arms of the grate support 28 may be of T shape in cross section as illustrated in Figure d and are preferably provided with prongs 32 to retain the grate members 30 in position.

The grate B is so set in the kiln wall 10 that substantially half of it projects inward from a reduced portion 10a of the walland the other half projects outward, as best shown in Figure 2. The inwardlyprojecte ing part forms the bottom for the fire box it.

Outside the kiln wall 10 I provide a hopper 34 having a slanting bottom 36 and an opening 38 through which fuel may be discharged onto the grate B. The fuel passes through openings 40 and L6 in the kiln wall (see Figure 5), the first of which may be adjusted by means of an adjusting plate 42. The adjusting plate 42 is vertically slidable by pin and slot connections and may be secured in any desired position by a wing nut 44-.

The thickness of the fuel on the grate may thus be regulated depending on the heat required in the kiln A and after the fuel is burned and becomes ashes, the ashes pass out through an opening 46 in the kiln wall. The opening 46 may be adjusted by a sliding plate 48, the adjustment of which may be maintained by wing nuts 50. This plate should be adjusted so that all the ashes may be carried out by the grate as it revolves without admitting very much air.

For cleaning ashes from the grate, 1 provide a scraper blade 52 which may be supported on the hopperiie, if desired. Thus it will be seen that rotation of the grate B will cause a lane of fue to be burned, the air for the combustion of the fuel coming through the openings in the grate as indicated by the arrows 54;.

The heated air after leaving the fire box is directed upwardly along the wall 10 by the bafile wall 16 and after striking the roof 1 and being deflected downwardly as illustrated in Figure 6 (see Figure '6), it then passes through the brick or tile 58. The floor 60 of the kiln A is perforated as indicated at 62 for the heated air to escape into an'underground tunnel extending to a chimney. The kiln herein referred to is of the construction now in general use except that T have provided an automatic means for stoking the kiln instead of having a kiln provided merely with a grate and a fire door through which fuel may be introduced manually.

F or rotating the grates B simultaneously, I provide a plurality of shafts 64 connected together by universal joints 66. The shafts 64 aresupported by bearing brackets 68.

On each shaft 64, I provide a worm for coaction with a worm gear 72 on the shaft 18. By means of detachable coupling members 74 the shafts 64 may be connected with shafts 76 connected by universal joints 78 with a reducing gear box 80. An electric motor 82 is operatively connected with the gear box 80. The motor and gear box as well as the shafts 76 are supported on a base 84 which may be secured in operative position by pins 88 extending into the footing 24.

By making the base 84 and the parts thereon detachable from the shafts 64 it is possible to use one motor forseveral kilns. This is very economical inasmuch as after the burning ofone kiln is completed, it must be allowedconsiderable time to cool off after which'the brick and tile are removed and replaced with green brick and tile to be burned.

If the motor was permanently connected with the automatic strokers of one kiln, it would be idle a good portion of the time.

In view of the fact that at different stages in the burning of the ware in the kilns, fuel is fed to the the more rapidly or more slowly as the case might call for, means may be pro-- vided whereby the speed of the collective grates may be regulated: namely, by a controller or the like 83 for the motor. Further, in the average run of kilns it is found that some boxes need to be fired more often or more slowly than others. To correct this inequality variations of the gear ratio between the shafts 6-1 and 18 for different grates, the continuous speed of which it will be necessary to vary, may be provided. Instead of worm gearing any operative connection between the shafts 18 and 64- may be provided.

Although I have illustrated and described a cylindrical kiln, it is to be understood that my stoker can be applied equally as well to those of rectangular and other shapes.

In the case of rectangular kiln, there could be either two complete sets of grate systems, one on each side; or the power unit could be set at one end of the kiln midway between the two sides and the grates on both sides could then'b'e connected to it by proper shafting or the like. Y

The stoker likewise can be used along the sides of railroad tunnel kilns through which the ware to be turned travels continuously, being placed on rail cars. Two lines of grates, one on either side of the tunnel, may be provided in such an installation.

The stokers can also be used in connection with a furnace wall in the same manner as applied to a kiln wall and I therefore wish to have it understood that the word kiln in the claims does not necessarily limit them to a kiln wall only. I 8

Some changesmay be made in the constructionand arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure of use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a. kiln construction, a kiln Wall, a plurality of open bottom fire boxes therein, a rotary grate for each fire box, each grate havin a portion forming a bottom for its respective fire box and a portion projecting outside of said kiln Wall, means out-side said kiln Wall for supplying fuel to said grates and for removing ashes therefrom, said grates being operatively connected with each other and means for simultaneously rotating the grates.

2. In akiln construction, a kiln Wall, a plurality of open bottom fire boxes therein, a rotary grate for each fire box, each grate having a portion forming a bottom for its respective fire box and a portion projecting outside of said kiln Wall, means outside said kiln Wall for supplying fuel to said grates and for removing ashes therefrom, said grates being operatively connected with each other and means for simultaneously rotating the grates, said means comprising a motor connected with the operative connections of the grates.

3. In a kiln construction, a kiln Wall, a plurality of open bottom fire boxes therein, a rotary grate for each fire box, each grate having a portion forming a bottom for its respective fire box and a. portion projecting outside of said kiln Wall, means outside said kiln wall for supplying fuel to said grates and for removing ashes therefrom, said grates being operatively connected with each other and means for simultaneously rotating the grates, said means comprising a motor detachably connected With the operative connections of the grates.

l. In a kiln construction, a kiln Wall, an open bottom fire box therein, a rotary grate having a portion forming abottom fo-rsaidfire box and a portion projecting outside of said kiln Wall and means outside said kiln Wall for supplying fuel to said grate and for removing ashes therefrom, said kiln Wall having an opening above said grate for fuel to pass thru into the interior of the fire box and a second opening above said grate for ashes to pass thru out of said fire box and plate means slidably supported on said kiln Wall for varying the sizes of said openings as desired.

5. In a kiln construction, a kiln Wall, a plurality of fire boxes therein, a rotary grate for each fire box, means for supplying fuel to said grates and for removing ashes therefrom and means for simultaneously rotating all of said grates.

6. In a lnln construction, a kiln Wall, a plurality of fire boxes therein, a rotary grate for each fire box, means for supplying fuel to said grates and for removing ashes therefrom and means for simultaneously rotating all of said grates, said means beingdetachably connected with said grates.

Des Moines, Iowa, April 14, 1930.

ROBERT K. GOODWIN. 

